Coronavirus cluster found in cargo ship in Australia

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A coronavirus cluster was detected Tuesday on a freight ship berthed in the Australian west coast port of Fremantle, raising questions about why local authorities weren’t alerted to the danger.

Six of 48 crew members from the Al Kuwait tested positive for the virus four days after the livestock carrier arrived from the United Arab Emirates on Friday, Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan said.

The six infected crew were transferred to hotel quarantine in the nearby city of Perth while health officials consider what to do with the remaining 42 on board, he said.

The ship’s cargo of 56,000 sheep is being held at a feedlot near the port. They were to be loaded within days and cannot be returned to farms because of quarantine restrictions, McGowan said.

Authorities expect more crew members will get sick and the ship will need a deep cleaning before it can leave.

Two federal government departments strongly disagreed with the Western Australian government's account of how the Kuwait-registered ship was permitted to dock.

McGowan said the Al-Kuwait left the United Arab Emirates on May 7 and was given permission by Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment last Wednesday to berth at Fremantle despite the vessel's report that three crew members had elevated temperatures.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told Australian Broadcasting Corp. the ship's master had reported “three deckhands were sick, but did not have the symptoms of COVID-19.”

The premier said Australian Border Force gave final approval on Friday for the ship to dock at Fremantle despite the ship's master reporting one crew member running a high temperature and three showing similar symptoms in the previous 15 days.

Australian Border Force...